Sexual Violence and Title IX

Overview

The Los Rios Community College District and its colleges are committed to creating and maintaining a safe environment free of sexual harassment or violence. Sexual violence and sexual harassment are not tolerated and are prohibited by law and District Policy. College personnel will respond promptly to reports of sexual violence and will take action to prevent, correct, and, when necessary, impose discipline for this misconduct.

How can I get help?

If you or someone you know has been the subject of sexual violence, you have three choices:

For confidential help, contact the WEAVE Confidential Advocate at (916) 568-3011 or WEAVE@losrios.edu

The police, Title IX officer, and WEAVE Confidential Advocate will provide support and information about filing criminal charges and the availability of resources such as counseling, health, mental health, advocacy, legal assistance, visa and immigration assistance, and other services on and off campus.

The WEAVE Confidential Advocate is available for those who do not wish to report a crime, but want confidential help. The WEAVE Confidential Advocate is not an employee of Los Rios; reports to the WEAVE Confidential Advocate are not official reports to the college. Only if asked to do so by the reporting party will the WEAVE Confidential Advocate report the matter to the LRPD or the Title IX officer.

What will the college do upon receiving a report?

Investigate

College personnel will take immediate and appropriate action to investigate and determine what occurred.

Take Action to End Any Harassment, Violence, or Discrimination

If sexual harassment or sexual violence has occurred, the college will take prompt and effective steps to end it, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects.

Protect the Reporting Party

The college will take steps to protect the reporting party.

Provide a Grievance Process

The college provides a grievance procedure for students to file complaints of sex discrimination or violence. These procedures include an equal opportunity for both parties to present witnesses and other evidence, and offer both parties the same appeal rights. The District's grievance procedures use the preponderance of the evidence standard to resolve complaints of sex discrimination.

Where a student or employee is found responsible for misconduct, appropriate discipline will be imposed.

Provide Notice of Outcome

The College will notify both parties of the outcome of the complaint.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Title IX?

A: Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972 protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. Examples of the types of discrimination that are covered under Title IX include sexual harassment, the failure to provide equal opportunity in athletics, and discrimination based on pregnancy.

Q: What is sexual harassment?

A: Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. It includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature, made by someone in a work or educational setting. These acts constitute sexual harassment when (1) submission to such conduct is made a term or condition of employment, or (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as a basis for employment decisions affecting the individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an employee's work performance or creating an intimidating hostile or offensive working environment.

Q: What is sexual violence?

A: Sexual violence is a form of sexual harassment prohibited by Title IX. Sexual violence means physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person's will or where a person is incapable of giving consent. Sexual violence includes rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion.

Q: What school activities are covered?

A: Title IX protects students involved in any and all academic, educational, extracurricular, athletic, and other programs of the school, whether on campus or off campus.

Q: What if law enforcement is involved?

A: The Colleges' Title IX obligations are separate from any law enforcement obligation. While law enforcement may determine that a crime did not occur, the Title IX officer must independently investigate the allegations.

Q: What if the reporting party requests confidentiality?

A: If the reporting party requests confidentiality or asks that a complaint not be pursued, college personnel will take all reasonable steps to investigate and respond to the complaint consistent with the request for confidentiality or request not to pursue an investigation. However, it is the obligation of the college to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory learning environment for all students. In that regard, the college may weigh the request for confidentiality against the following factors: the seriousness of the alleged harassment; the reporting party's age; whether there have been other harassment complaints about the same individual; and the alleged harasser's rights to receive information about the allegations if the information is maintained by the school.

WEAVE

Additional Resources

Nothing contained here may be construed as "legal advice" from the Office of the General Counsel; users should always consult with appropriate licensed counsel if legal issues are involved. The materials here are presented for informational purposes only.